64 - Yajna of Kamsa

Narayana said- О sage, Satyaka the family priest of Kamsa, who was quite intelligent and a pupil of Shukracharya took into consideration all that had been spoken by the king. He then spoke to him beneficial words. 

Satyaka said- О virtuous one, be fearless, why should you be afraid when I am there. You perform the yajna of Shiva which removes all the obstructions.

The yajna is called after Dhanurmakha and after its performance, one has to give away as dakshina food and riches, which removes the bad dreams and destroys all dangers from the enemy.

While performing this yajna one is relieved of the dangers like Adhyatmika, Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika disturbances besides removing all obstructions. It also bestows on one enough of fortune. 

At the end of the yajna lord Shiva himself appears in person and removing old age and death, bestows the desired boon. Thereafter the performer of the yajna is filled with all the riches. 

In earlier times the valorous Banasura, Nandi, Parashurama and Bhalla the best of the warriors had performed this yajna. 

In earlier times Shiva had given this bow to Nandishvara who met with success in the yajna. The religious-minded Nandishvara handed over the bow to Banasura. By achieving success through the yajna Вana handed over the bow at Pushkara region to Parashurama and the compassionate Parashurama had given the same to you. 

O king, the bow is a thousand hands in length, it is quite hard and ten hands in width. It moves according to the will of Shiva. 

This Pashupata weapon of Shiva is difficult to be moved. No one else can break it except Narayana himself. 

You adore this bow in the welfare yajna of Shiva and extend invitation to all. 

О king in case the bow is broken in the yajna the performer of the yajna has to meet with his end. There is no doubt about it. 

And with the breaking of the bow the yajna is surely desecrated. When the yajna is not completed then the question of reaping its reward would not arise. 

О intelligent one, Brahma resides at the base of the bow, Narayana in the middle and lord Shiva resides in the ground. First of all, it is inlaid with gems and issues lustre like the sun or the mid-day sun of the summer season. 

О king, the valorous Ananta, Surya and Karttikeya cannot handle it, then what to speak of others? In the earlier times Shiva had killed Tripurasura with this bow. Therefore, you arrange for the success of this yajna fearlessly. 

On hearing the words of Satyaka, Kamsa, the king of the solar race, spoke to the family priest who was his great well-wisher. 

Kamsa said- My killer and the destroyer of my race, Krishna, has been born in the house of Vasudeva and is presently living in the house of Nanda. 

That valorous boy has killed my valorous relatives and quite competent courtiers besides sister Putana. 

He is competent enough to increase his strength at will and could raise up the mountain Govarddhana on a single hand and also defeated the immensely powerful Mahendra. 

He also displayed his divine form to Brahma and also created illusory cowherds and cowherdesses besides the calves. 

Therefore, О Satyaka, you somehow manage the killing of the same valorous boy because in the entire universe, except that boy there is no one else who could be inimical to me. 

In heaven, Patala and earth there is no other enemy for me. This is certain. All the best of the kings everywhere in the world are friendly to me.  Brahma is an ascetic and similar is the case with Shiva while Vishnu is all-pervading and eternal, therefore, simply with the killing of Krishna the son of Nanda, I would be adored the world over.  I shall then become the lord of the seven continents and a great king. 

By defeating the Daityas and the gods in the heaven, I shall kill the weak Indra and defeating the sun I shall achieve the place of Mahendra. 

My ancestors who are suffering from consumption besides the wind, Kubera, Varuna and Yama would surely be defeated by me.

Therefore, you go to the city of Vraja ruled by Nanda. Go to the Nanda and bring Krishna here as well as his brother Baladeva expeditiously. 

On hearing the words of Kamsa, Satyaka spoke beneficial words which were quite appropriate and could bestow prosperity. 

Satyaka said- О virtuous one, in Vraja of Nanda, you kindly depute Akrura, Uddhava and Vasudeva. 

On hearing the words of Satyaka, Kamsa spoke to Vasudeva who was seated on a lion-throne in the court. 

Kamsa said- О brother Vasudeva, you are well-versed in polity and are quite competent in the making of devices. Therefore, you go to the place of your son in Vraja of Nanda, informing them about the festivities of yajna. You bring with you Vrushabhanu, Nanda, Balabhadra, Krishna and all the residents of Gokula here,  

The messengers carrying the messages of the king moved to other kings and the sages on all directions. 

О Brahman, on hearing the words of the king the throat, lips and palate of Vasudeva were dried up and he spoke with a painful heart. 

Vasudeva said- О king, you have entrusted the duty of my going to Vraja and to invite Nanda and his son, but in case the son of Nanda arrives here at the time of the festivities, your yajna here is bound to face some controversies,  

Then should I bring him for waging a war? It will not be proper for me and it would be a sort of obstruction there. The people would say that Krishna was killed when he was brought here by his father himself or otherwise Vasudeva got the king killed through his son. 

Either one of you would be surely killed at the spot and no one know the number of warriors which would be killed further because the war can never be peaceful.  

On hearing the words of Vasudeva, the eyes of the great king Kamsa became red with anger. He holding a sword in his hand rushed to kill Vasudeva. 

At this slight, Ugrasena cried in panic and dissuaded Kamsa from doing so. Vasudeva also left for his abode in anger. Thereafter the king Kamsa deputed Akrura to Vraja for getting the son of Nanda to Mathura. 

The messengers were dispatched in all the directions and all the kings and the sages arrived there together with their companions.  

All the Dikpalas, the gods, the Tapasvis Brahmanas like Sanaka, Sanandana, Vodhu, Panchanshikha, Sanatkumara, illumining with divine lustre, then Kapila, Asuri, Paila, Sumanta, Sanatana, Pulaha, Pulastya, Bhrugu, Kratu, Angira, Marichi, Kashyapa, Daksha, Atri, Chyavana, Bhardvaja, Vyasa, Gautama, Parashara, Pracheta, Vasistha, Samvarta, Bruhaspati, Katyayana, Yajnavalkya, Uttanga, Saubhari, Parvata, Devala, Jaigisavya, Jaimini, Vishvamitra, Sutapa, Pippalada Shakatayana, Jabali, Jangali, Apishali, Shilalika, Astika, Jaratkaru, Kalyanamitra, Durvasa, Vamadeva, Shrungi, Vibhandaka, Pathi, Kavi, Kanada, Kaushika, Panini, Kautsa, Aghamarshana, Valmiki, Lomaharshana, Markandeya, Mrukandu, Parashurama, Samskruti, Agastya, Vanta and several other sages arrived there.

О sage, accompanied by the sons and the pupils of the Tapasvis, Brahmanas besides Jarasandha, Dantavakra, Dambhika, Dravideshvara, Sishupala, Bhismaka, Bhagadatta, Mudgala, Duryodhana, Dhumakesha, Dhumraketu, Shambara, Shalya, Satrajita, Shanku and several other valorous kings including Bhisma, Drona, Krupacharya, the valorous Ashvatthama, Bhurishrava, Shalva, Kaikeya and Kaushala. The great king Kamsa talked to each one of them appropriately and Satyaka started the yajna in an auspicious time.